SUV hits Joliet high school bus with students on board, minor injuries reported

Joliet — Multiple Joliet police units responded to the scene of a traffic accident involving a school bus and an SUV at the intersection of North Larkin Avenue and Black Road in Thursday morning.

A Ford Escape, driven by Jacob Wassner, 35, of Minooka struck a Joliet Township High School bus with students on board about 10 a.m., according to Joliet police.

The Escape disobeyed a red light while heading north on Larkin approaching Black as the school bus was turning left on a green arrow onto southbound Larkin from westbound Black, police said. The vehicle hit the rear driver’s side of the bus, police said.

There were 23 Joliet West High School students aboard the bus at the time of the crash, police said. Five students suffered minor injuries in the crash, with one needing to be taken to Ascension Saint Joseph - Joliet by the Joliet Fire Department. The student’s injury is considered minor, police said.

Wassner has been cited for disobeying a traffic control device, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle, police said.